Suspect arrested in 1998 Marysville cold case murder of teenager

A suspect has been arrested in the unsolved 1998 murder of a Marysville teenager, according to the Marysville Police Department.

On Monday, detectives arrested a 52-year-old Renton man in connection with the 1998 murder of 19-year-old Jennifer Brinkman.

The suspect has been living and working in the east Puget Sound area since before the homicide took place.

The arrest was the result of advancements in DNA technology, including genetic genealogy.

In March 1998, Jennifer Brinkman’s father had returned home from a trip to California and discovered the body of his daughter in the 1900 block of Grove Street.

She had planned to go on the trip but decided to stay behind at home.

An autopsy revealed she had been struck in the neck with an ax, which was left at the murder scene.

Police believe Brinkman spent a considerable amount of time on the telephone, using dating and chat lines. Police think that is how she came to know the suspect.

“Solving this case has been at the top of the priority list of the Marysville Police Department for the past 24 years,” stated Marysville Police Chief Erik Scairpon. “We never gave up or put this on a shelf. It was continuously being investigated, with the belief that we would one day be able to bring some level of closure for the family and justice for Jennifer.”

The suspect was booked into the Snohomish County Jail for first-degree murder.

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